Process for preventing danger of explosion in the preparation and the handling of dangerous explosive substances



both citizens of Switzerland, residing is consumed at Ho Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, GEoRons DARIER, chemist, and CHARLES GOUDET, chemist, at Chne, near Geneva, resp. Geneva, in the Confederation of Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Preventing Danger of Explosion in the Preparation and the Handling of Dangerous Explosive Substances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a process for preventing danger of explosion in the preparation and handling of dangerous explosive substances, such for examle as the derivatives of hydrazoic acid (N This process consists in the formation on a suitable material, which is generally porous and which has a large surface capable of being impregnated, of explosive substances starting with non-explosive substances, this being eifected by means of physical and chemical reactions.

According to this process, non-explosive substances, which ultimately give rise to the formation of explosive substances, are distributed in a very finely divided state in 'a materialcapable of being impregnated, in such a manner that the particles of the said substances shall be separated from each other by particles of the material that is capable of being impregnated, so that the explosive substance is divided at the moment of its formation into small particles distributed in the said material.

The formation of the explosive substance can take place by a chemical reaction between two or more non-explosive chemical substances, or by a physical reaction such for example as the evaporation of a solvent containing the explosive substance in a nonexplosive state.

The material which is capable of'being impregnated may be for example a suitable fabric of wool, silk or cotton, paper, or waste pieces of these materials, cellulose, wood shavings, cork powder, wood and cocoa nut charcoal, pumice stone, infusorial earth (kieselguhr), nitro-cellulose, etc., but is preferably a combustible material which the time of the explosion.

his process presents the enormous advantage of obviating all handling of dan- ANGEROUS EKPLOSIVE Specification of Letters Patent.

ment of their IN THE PREPARATION AND THE suns'rencm.

gerous substances, because the primary materials are all non-explosive substances and the explosive materials proper, at the moformation, are divided into small particles themselves each other bythe particles of the porous material which they impregnate.

It permits the preparation and use in considerable quantities of powerful explosives, which heretofore was not possible by reason of the danger in handling them.

Finally the new process tity of the explosive materials which should be employed to obtain any desired result, to be easily adjusted by charging the materials, that are capable of being impregnated, with difl erent quantities of explosive.

The applications of the new process are numerous. Thus for example it is possible to handle without danger and in relatively large quantities products such as the derivatives of hydrazoic acid N H), such as nitrid of lead( silverkete, Berthollets fulminating.

silver sel de erthollet), normal fulminate of silver and of mercury and" many others. The employment of nitrid of lead is especially advocated, as it forms an explosive ich is very powerful and is relatively lnexpensive.

It can be prepared easily and without danger by impregnating a porous material, such for example as newspapers, with a solution of acetate of lead which is afterward converted into nitrid of lead (N Pb) by means of a solution of nitrid of sodium (N N a) 'which is a quite non-explosive product.

porous material can also be impregnated with a solution of explosive substances, as for example with an ammoniacal solution of nitrid of silver- (Ag3N) or of silver oxid (normal fulminate of silver, Berthollets fulminating silver, etc.), which all give after evaporation of the solvent are however rendered easily handled and capable of being measured out by the process forming the subject of this invention. The products obtained by the impregnation of porous materials according to this process can serve as explosives alone or can be combined with other explosive materials such as trotyle (trinitropermits the quan h Patented Aug. it), 31920. p i Application filed September 14, 1918. Serial No. 254,140.

. toluene), melinite, ulmi-cotton, etc.

' tains nitrid of lead, the amount of which can be varied at will. It will scarcely differ from ordinary newspaper, but possesses a very considerable explosive stores.

it can be pressed, crushed, cut with scissors or molded without producing ignition provided that a certain limit of charge be not exceeded: It can even be heated without danger in a-parafiin bath up to a temperature of 240 degrees C. A sample heated to 14-0 degrees does not lose its explosive properties.

When subjected to shock or to a flame it detonates strongly.

'We claim as our invention.

1. The hereinbeiore described process ior preventing the danger of explosion in the preparation and manipulation of dangerous explosive substances, consisting mation in a suitable material of an explosive substance, bv first treating the material with a non-explosive substance and then changthe non-explosive substance by reaction mg with another substance to an explosive sub:

stance, the particles of which are separated from each other material.

2. The hereinbefore described process for preventing danger of explosion in the preparation and the manipulation of dangerous explosive substancesconsisting in the formation in a suitable material of an explosive substance, by first treating the material with a non-explosive substance, and then changing the same other substance to an explosive substance in a very finely divided state in the said material so that the particles of the explosive substance are separated from each other by the particles oi": the materiale by the particles of the said in the torby a reaction with an-.

nsaaeii 3. The hereinbetore described process for preventing the danger of explosion in the preparation and the manipulation of dangerous explosive substances consisting in the formation in a porous material of an explosive substance, by first treating the porous material with anon-explosive substance, and then changing the non-explosive substance by reaction with another substance into an explosive substance in a finely divided state in the said porous material so that the particles of the explosive substance are separated from each other by the particles oi"; the porous material. 1

i. lhe hereinbefore described process for preventing he danger of explosion in the preparation and the manipulation of dangerous explosive substances consisting in. the formation in a porous material of explosive substance, by first treating the ma terial with a non-explosive substance, and then substance with another non-explosive substance which reacts on the first non-explosive substance to form an explosive" substance, the particles of which are finely divided and separated from each other by the particles of the said porous material.

5. The hereinbefore described process for preventing the danger of explosion in the preparation and the manipulation of dangerous explosive substances consistin in the formation in a porous material 0 an explosive substance, by first impregnating the said material with a solution of acetate of lead, and then with a solution of nitrid oif sodium which is permitted to react on the material treated with the solution of acetate of lead so as to form therein a nitrid of lead in finely divided particles which are separated from each other by the particles of the said porous material.

'in testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures in presence'ot two witnesses.

GEORGES DARIER. CHARLES GUUDE'E.

Witnesses Ron. Wunrnmenne, J. D vornn.

Ill

treating the material and the aforesaid 

